Cork born Michael Cawley, the Chairman of Failte Ireland and former Ryanair Deputy CEO & Commercial Director was speaking at a business anniversary breakfast for Paul O’Donovan and Associates,Accountants. He said: “We should get over ourselves and realise that we are not as special as we think. All talk of us being a “competitor” in a European context is silly as Ireland is really about Dublin.” He reckoned that it was pointless for money to be invested promoting Cork as it was not a proposition worth promoting…”

Cork North West TD Áine Collins : “If Cork Airport isn’t making money, we’ll never pay back the debt. It’s losing revenue when flights and routes are lost. We need to park the debt, give Cork Airport autonomy and drive its business growth, working with businesses and tourism bodies in the region to promote Cork and the airport.”

“Should Cork Airport cease to exist, the consequences would be horrendous for Munster’s economy. Multi-nationals such as EMC, Apple and global pharmaceutical companies have pointed out that the airport was a major factor in their decision to choose Cork as a location for their industries and, they warn, the airport remains critical to their ongoing success. But West Cork man Jim Daly and most of his FG cohorts have a different take on the matter. They’re deaf to the warnings. When pressed, Daly argued in a neat piece of Doublespeak that, were the government to cancel the €120m debt, Cork Airport would ‘potentially be left standing still’.

Sure they could also sell the old terminal to Michael O’Leary. He offered to buy it before but was rejected. Maybe now they will put their prejudices aside and act like grown-ups, or is that too much to ask?

Perhaps we should be revisiting the option of Ryanair taking over the old terminal building and part of that deal being that they offer affordable daily flights to Dublin. Since we lost the Cork/Dublin route, the airport has 500,000 fewer passengers annually.

Whatever became of Our Deirdre Clune, MEP for Ireland South and eminent authority on Cork Airport? With the future of the airport hanging by a thread, one would have expected Ms Clune to be fighting tooth and nail on behalf of those who elected her, giving it hot and heavy to a party leadership that doesn’t give a tinker’s (except for Jerry Buttimer TD) and doing her level best in Brussels to save the place.

Sadly, with the way things are going, our MEP for ‘Ireland South’ soon will have one less airport to worry about (thanks to Enda Kenny and the gang). And the signs are that Cork Airport’s doors will not be opening, but closing – permanently!

British Airways chief Willie Walsh has offered his strongest assurances yet to Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports that he will maintain air links to Heathrow, if he buys Aer Lingus. “There’s no reason why anyone should have any fear whatsoever,” he said. “I would be shocked if the Cork-Heathrow route is not a very profitable route for Aer Lingus. “I don’t think Cork has anything to worry about. Right through the recession, Cork-Heathrow has had very good demand.”

In fact connectivity these days is more important than ever – not just into and out of Dublin, but Cork and Shannon as well – given the number of foreign companies who operate here and have executives who are coming and going all the time.

Cork’s Lord Mayor has said that she fears Cork Airport’s status would suffer if Aer Lingus is sold to International Airlines Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG). She also said that the Dublin Airport Authority has ‘neglected’ Cork Airport’s status.

Kenny’s coalition apparently just wants to coast along for another year, taking zero risks and putting their own electoral interests above any other consideration. If so, they should call an election now – and let someone else actually try to govern the country for a change.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath told the Dáil that Shannon Airport, since its restructuring, held unfair advantages over Cork Airport. He called for a major plan to combat the decline of Cork as a travel hub, and urged a re-examining of its control by the Dublin Airport Authority.

“But if you don’t want it owned by Ryanair, who do you want it owned by? And instead of all this nonsense the Government should have a more intelligent long term approach to where they want Aer Lingus to go and stop all this hysterical nonsense about connectivity because it’s not really a big issue.”

29th January 2015 – “Possible Aer Lingus Sale Could Hurt Cork”http://corkindependent.com/20150129/news/possible-aer-lingus-sale-could-hurt-cork-S99247.htmlCork’s connectivity to another hub, Amsterdam’s Schipol airport has also been described as being crucial. Fine Gael’s Jerry Buttimer has said that in his view Aer Lingus should not be sold.Fianna Fáil Cllr Tom O’Driscoll said that while “most of the focus is on Heathrow slots but Cork’s connectivity with Amsterdam Schiphol hub may also be under threat if IAG buys Aer Lingus.”

28th January 2015 – Aer Lingus Takeover Talks ‘Will Take Weeks’http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/aer-lingus-takeover-talks-will-take-weeks-309305.htmlFianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin warned that any sell-off would have bad economic consequences, not just for Dublin, but also Cork, Knock and the Shannon region, as well as the country as a whole.TDs Ciarán Lynch and Michael McCarthy also said that flights in and out of their home city of Cork needed to be protected under any deal.

26th January 2015 – “Sale of Aer Lingus should only be considered if Heathrow slots are protected”http://www.deirdreclune.ie/viewNews/id/42/Fine Gael MEP for Ireland South and Member of the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, Deirdre Clune, has said that the sale of Aer Lingus should only be considered if the Heathrow slots to Cork, Dublin and Shannon are protected.

24th January 2015 – “Aer Lingus ‘to accept’ bid from British Airways owner IAG” http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30967346The Irish Labour Party will resist the sale, while the centre right Fine Gael party will only approve it if connectivity from Cork and Dublin into what it sees as Britain’s only hub airport is maintained…

IAG (International Consolidated Airlines Group, which is British Airways, Iberia &Vueling) has returned with a third bid for Aer Lingus and this time the board of the Irish Airline looks set to recommend acceptance of the offer to shareholders. Fianna Fáil transport spokesman Timmy Dooley called on Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe to rule out the sale of the Government stake in Aer Lingus in order to protect “strategic national interests”. “Any sale of the airline could see its critical Heathrow slots “siphoned off, risking future connectivity and jobs at Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports”, he said.

22nd January 2015 – “Cork Needs A TEAM Approach” (A Letter from Finbarr Harrington, Chairman of the Cork County Community and Voluntary Forum)http://westcorktimes.com/home/archives/29781 “Today if a tourist flies Trans-Atlantic to the debt free Shannon Airport they are faced with a gruelling road from Limerick to Cork. It is a shambolic link between two of the top three cities in our state. This is a project that a united council could aim to deliver in partnership with central Government. As I mention debt free Shannon Airport we have seen the unequal treatment of Cork Airport who have been strangled with an unmanageable debt. While effecting practical development of traffic at Cork Airport it is clearly restricting the growth of our international industrial presence as well as failing to attract more international tourists.”